Thread: Puma diffs

Originally Posted by clive22

Hi

On P38 Puma rear diffs, how many people have broken their CW&P? not half-shafts. If so what size tyres and how hard where you/they driving?

I have a 130 that I use for touring running stock 235/85 tyres and don't want to put a Salisbury under it.

I'm considering running a pegged Ashcroft P38 locker & their halfshafts.

I'm not arguing about the Salisbury being much stronger - it is - fullstop anyone who has plucked out a center will know this. I have a shaved Sals with 35 spline 1.5" halfshafts and it is bombproof, but that under a 36" tyred playtruck.

I just want a safe reliable touring solution for normal 4wd driving on stock tyres.

Clive

Have you considered putting a regular Rover diff with an aftermarket center (eg locker) into to the current axle housing?

Oops should of said 2011 model

Originally Posted by rick130

Not better clearance than a shaved Sals, and a Sals CWP can't be beaten for strength.

How did you shave 30mm off your Sals Rick?. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

How did you shave 30mm off your Sals Rick?. Pat

Took 19mm off it easily Pat, which puts it within about 5mm or so of a Rover diff, or maybe even for those that run a bolt on diff guard on the front.

You can take more off but you will be cutting, plating and welding. 19mm is easy without compromising strength if you use an HD cover.

Originally Posted by clive22

Hi

On P38 Puma rear diffs, how many people have broken their CW&P? not half-shafts. If so what size tyres and how hard where you/they driving?

I have a 130 that I use for touring running stock 235/85 tyres and don't want to put a Salisbury under it.

I'm considering running a pegged Ashcroft P38 locker & their halfshafts.

I'm not arguing about the Salisbury being much stronger - it is - fullstop anyone who has plucked out a center will know this. I have a shaved Sals with 35 spline 1.5" halfshafts and it is bombproof, but that under a 36" tyred playtruck.

I just want a safe reliable touring solution for normal 4wd driving on stock tyres.

Clive

I would say for touring a pegged Ashcroft p38 with locker and their halfshafts and flanges on the 235's you would have no problems at all.

I run the hypoid diff centre with their locker, halfshafts etc and its not missed a beat. Better yet it removes a great deal of the backlash from the puma drive train.

The only other thing you might want to consider is strengthening the rear prop shaft.

Hi

That's what i'm thinking just upgrade the internals. There is a big difference between touring with normal tyres and hard tracks with big tyres is huge. Whilst the stock diff is wrong in many ways with a bit a prudence driving wise it should be OK.

Finding a good nick disk ended sals is easier said than done, and with a cover, modded prop, new half shafts, air locker (arb or $$$ locker) it all get quite exxy.

Its a pity Ashcroft didn't persevere with their hypoid as it was great middle ground. Excess noise was what I read lead to its demise.

I'd look at fitting a rover diff too (again pegged with Ashcroft locker & HD CW&P) , but I thought this wasn't a straight swap into a p38 housing, I know the prop will have to be shortened in any case. Why not put in a Toyota hypoid?

What are the issues with the rear prop?, the torque tube looks OK, flaring out for extra strength & torsional stiffness or is the issue the yokes and unis?

Clive

Originally Posted by clive22

Hi

Its a pity Ashcroft didn't persevere with their hypoid as it was great middle ground. Excess noise was what I read lead to its demise.

Clive

Mine was quite noisy on overrun around the 40 - 60km/h mark but it has settled down a lot now, whilst it is still there you hardly notice it. Even at its noisiest it wasnt a huge bother and it is so much better than stock its worth it.

Originally Posted by clive22

Hi

What are the issues with the rear prop?, the torque tube looks OK, flaring out for extra strength & torsional stiffness or is the issue the yokes and unis?

Clive

It is quite thin walled, a number of people have found they twist quite nicely, I had mine sleeved when it was shortened for the new diff centre.

I have a MY2013 TDCi. It didn't come with traction control so was looking for something to help out a little over completely open diffs. Didn't want to have to uprate every part of the driveline to HD just for that. Had also read about the stock diffs giving problems (nightmare tales of some owners going through 3 diffs before getting a good one - all under warranty, but still!).

Ended up choosing Ashcroft ATBs to replace diff centers front & rear. Seems to have ticked all the boxes that I wanted. Took out a bit of the driveline slop but not as startling an improvement as replacing the drive flanges!

I didn't bother, but HD R&P are available if thought needed. As is diff pegging.